The company recently opened two mainland offices, bringing its total to 10, and recruits are being taken on in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau to fill available positions.

'We are looking for a chief agency officer for our new offices in Shenzhen and Nanjing, and two heads of training. We certainly welcome applications from Hong Kong,' Mr Chia said.

Citic Prudential does not normally advertise such positions, preferring to use its network of contacts to identify suitable people.

'The industry is comparatively small, and we often use our network to recruit the right candidate,' Mr Chia said.

However, he encouraged anyone interested in the current openings

or general opportunities with the company to submit relevant application details.

'We receive a lot of unsolicited CVs and try to give them all fair consideration. This is sometimes the fastest way for someone interested in working for us to come to our attention. If you think you are good, contact us and let us know what you can do,' he said.

Whoever is appointed as chief agency officer should have a full understanding of agency philosophy and the experience to build and develop an agency company.

'Candidates should have a minimum of 10 years at management level, with a successful track record, plus the ability to command respect and share their experience with others,' Mr Chia said.

He said the company generally preferred people who had not 'job hopped' but had moved up through the ranks with one or two employers and were looking to take a further step up the ladder. 'We have more confidence in this type of person,' he said.

A potential agency chief should also be fluent in Putonghua and have an understanding of the culture in China.

'It's an attractive position,' Mr Chia said. 'The successful candidate will be groomed to be a general manager of one of our China offices in two to three years.'

The new heads of training will instruct the company's salesforce and develop, execute and modify many in-house training programmes.

'We are looking for people with seven or eight years' experience, preferably in the industry. They will be expected to lead a team of trainers to improve the skills of the sales team so they can deliver the right corporate message and provide the right level of service for our customers,' he said.

Applicants should possess excellent communication skills, good Putonghua and the ability to encourage behavioural change.

They should also demonstrate an interest in training methodologies and different approaches to learning.

After starting as a head of training, recruits can expect to see a steady career progression, moving on to become an agency chief in two to three years, and then a general manager.

The company is also looking for underwriters, actuaries, IT professionals, customer service staff and finance executives. There are about two or three such positions available in each category in each of the China offices.

Mr Chia said the salaries were competitive but might be lower than for similar posts in Hong Kong.

'Because people in Hong Kong are comparatively well paid and receive higher levels than their counterparts in China, it could be hard for them to adjust. But they should look ahead and view a move to China as part of their long-term career development, with the chance of consistently good rewards,' he said.

The company sees tremendous opportunities for expansion in China because less than 3 per cent of the population have insurance, and the potential of a largely untapped market is huge.

Citic Prudential is a joint venture that focuses on selling life insurance, and home and group insurance.

In gross premiums and number of branches, the company ranks first among joint ventures in the sector.

'It is undoubtedly a fast expanding industry, and we to are growing at an impressive rate. We are confident of our long-term success in China,' Mr Chia said.

your ticket to china

Citic Prudential is recruiting to fill various vacancies at its 10 offices in China.

Hong Kong applicants for senior positions should have fluent Putonghua and relevant experience in the insurance sector.

Candidates should focus on the long-term career prospects and chances for promotion.

The company expects to see rapid expansion in the next few years.